Educational and Psychological Studies

EPS 200. Career Development and Planning. 3 Credit Hours.

Exploration and planning of careers based on three knowledge domains: cognitive and social foundations, the occupational world and work behavior, and career c hoice and development in individuals and organizations.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

EPS 201. Psychosocial Change and Well-being. 3 Credit Hours.

Introduction to personal and interpersonal approaches to well-being. Includes theoretical, historical, philosophical, and psychological bases of well-being. Emphasis will be placed on real-life applications of theory and practice to the promotion of psychosocial change and well-being.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

EPS 251. Developing Data Wrangling Skills for Social, Behavioral, and Educational Data. 3 Credit Hours.

In this course, students will learn the fundamental concepts and basic procedures of data wrangling that are commonly used in the behavioral, social, and educational fields. Data wrangling involves the process of acquiring, cleaning, and manipulating the data. The course is designed to provide students with (1) a conceptual introduction to data wrangling that establishes a solid foundation, as well as (2) opportunities to apply the necessary techniques and skills. The topics covered in the course include, but are not limited to working with different types of data (i.e., numeric and string data), managing data structures, importing/exporting data, shaping and transforming the data, and creating functions. The primary objective of this course is to equip students with essential principles, knowledge, processes, and tools for conducting individual data-wrangling tasks. These tools will enable students to be more effective and efficient in understanding the data to support robust data modeling and reporting for policy-making processes. Knowledge of basic algebra is required, but knowledge of statistics or programming is not required.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

EPS 270. Lifespan Human Development. 3 Credit Hours.

Processes and theories of human development from birth to old age are explored. Areas to be covered include: physical development, cognitive development, social and personality development, moral development, and language development. Emphasis is placed on development as a life-long process and its importance in understanding human behavior.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

EPS 280. Introduction to Family Studies: Dating, Coupling, Parenting. 3 Credit Hours.

Theory and practice of romantic relationships and parent-child relationships, including discussion and skills building. Research based information on how to maximize the quality of these interpersonal relationships will be examined.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

EPS 291. Community and Character Development. 3 Credit Hours.

The course covers moral and psychological dimensions pertaining to character de velopment as it occurs in communities. Topics include contemporary theory and r esearch regarding perspectives on virtue and morality, states of character, eth ical decision making, and character development. The reciprocal relationships b etween character and community will be a central theme in exploring ethical iss ues that arise in working with individuals, institutions, and communities. Theo ry and research will be linked to relevant applications.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall.

EPS 292. The Art and Science of Human Flourishing. 3 Credit Hours.

This course will delve into the intricate dynamics of flourishing and “a life worth living” to empower students to instigate positive change in both their professional and personal spheres. Drawing inspiration from diverse traditions, such as philosophy, religious studies, psychology, education, medicine, and culture, the course takes a comprehensive and multifaceted approach towards understanding the good life. This course will outline the existing state of flourishing science and will expand upon current paradigms by (1) presenting flourishing as an inherently social and moral pursuit, (2) exploring the myriad approaches to flourishing across the globe, encompassing various scientific, religious, philosophical, and cultural traditions, and (3) discussing the importance of interdependence, community, and the broader macroenvironment. The weekly course meetings will consist of one day of didactic lectures combined with one day of experiential learning opportunities. Each week of the semester, this course will explore a different quality of flourishing to understand its components and dynamics, experiment with cultivating skills that support its development, and further explore how the skills can be applied in day-to-day life. Overall, students will gain practical insights into fostering flourishing within their lives and other diverse contexts and will be encouraged to apply theoretical knowledge outside of the classroom.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Spring.

EPS 306. Insanity and Humanity: Mental Illness, Society, Stigma and Services. 3 Credit Hours.

The genesis for this course was the generally poor, inaccurate and stigmatized understanding of mental illness in society based on portrayals in popular media including Hollywood produced films. However, over the past several years the depth and accuracy of awareness and knowledge has changed, as the depiction of mental illness and treatment services in films has improved and the availability of narrative accounts has increased. This course is designed to allow Human and Social Development majors, with a particular interest in wellness and human services, to explore varying portrayals of mental illnesses in popular media. The course will foster critical analysis of narrative and film depictions of illness, as well as connect these depictions to a broader narrative on stigma, social determinants of illness and wellness, prevention and intervention.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

EPS 311. Group Processes and Development. 3 Credit Hours.

Research findings concerning the nature of small groups and patterns of behavior associated with them are explored. Students experience an ongoing group process to which theories and concepts can be applied. Emphasis is placed on learning to be a participant observer of group behavior and processes, learning about one's own behavior in groups, and developing skills to be a more effective member and leader in task groups.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

EPS 321. Understanding Human Service Organizations. 3 Credit Hours.

Focus on unique role of community-bases human services organizations in society with an overview and history of community organizations, which provide services, support, advocacy, and organizing in today’s communities. Review of the systems, cultures, structures, and processes of community organizations with a special emphasis on promoting well-being in communities. This course has a 10 hours field research experience requirement. This course is a designated Upper Level Communication Requirement; advanced written, digital and/or oral communication proficiencies will be emphasized in this course. Credit for WRS 105 and WRS 106 (or equivalent), is required for this course.
Prerequisite: EPS 201 Or Co-requisite: EPS 311 And Prerequisite: WRS 105 And WRS 106 prerequisite of enrollment is required for this course.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Spring.

EPS 340. Psychology and Sociology of Sexual Identity. 3 Credit Hours.

History, psychology, and sociology of gay, lesbian, and transgendered populations.
Prerequisite: PSY 110 or SOC 101.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

EPS 351. Intro to Statistics for the Social, Behavioral, and Educational Sciences. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is designed to establish a robust groundwork in fundamental statistical principles and methodologies essential for gathering, summarizing, analyzing, and interpreting data. Key topics covered encompass probability, distribution, hypothesis testing, descriptive statistics involving measures of central tendency and variability, as well as inferential statistics such as t-test, ANOVA, chi-square, correlation, and regression. Upon successfully completing the course, students will be equipped to develop a solid conceptual understanding of statistical techniques applied in social and behavioral science research and practice. They will gain proficiency in effectively describing, analyzing, and interpreting data using relevant statistical methods.
Prerequisite: MTH 101 or higher.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.

EPS 361. Community Psychology and Development. 3 Credit Hours.

Community psychology is about the prevention of psychosocial problems and the promotion of mental health and well being through the creation of equitable and just social settings, neighborhoods, communities, and societies. Course topics include: stress and social support; oppression and human diversity; primary prevention, social intervention and health promotion; self-help; mediating structures; community mental health; alternative settings; community development and social change.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

EPS 365. Psychological Study of Children, Families, and the Law. 3 Credit Hours.

This course will introduce students to the psychological research and practice that has a bearing on legal policy and practice. Psychological research (social, clinical, developmental, and community) will be emphasized along with legal rulings, especially from the Supreme Court. Throughout the course, the underlying question will be, "How can psychological research and theory inform the law in matters that relate to children."
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

EPS 371. Applied Social Research Methods. 3 Credit Hours.

The study of the ethics, philosophies, designs, methods and techniques of research in the behavioral and social sciences. This course provides a brief orientation to quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, and participatory research designs and approaches used in the collection, analysis and interpretation of social research data. This course is a designated Upper Level Communication Requirement; advanced written, digital and/or oral communication proficiencies will be emphasized in this course. Credit for WRS 105 and WRS 106 (or equivalent), is required for this course.
Prerequisite: WRS 105 And WRS 106 prerequisite of enrollment is required for this course.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

EPS 372. Survey Methodology for the Social and Behavioral Sciences. 3 Credit Hours.

This course introduces fundamental concepts and basic procedures for the construction of an instrument. The instrument could be used to collect measures in either cognitive or affective domains. It emphasizes a realization of invariant or objective measurement in social sciences based on Rasch measurement theory. The major aims of this course are to introduce the principles of invariant measurement, to illustrate how invariant measurement can be achieved with Rasch measurement models, and to solve measurement problems in the social, behavioral, and health sciences. Specifically, the students should know a. how to apply a constructive approach to develop new instruments and/or adapt old ones b. how to evaluate the psychometric quality of the instruments, and c. how to responsibly maintain and use the instruments. The advanced students are encouraged to examine and advance methodological approaches for three foundational areas i.e., reliability, validity, and fairness and approaches to address common measurement problems e.g., differential item functioning, test equating, and item banking.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

EPS 401. Applied Regression in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. 3 Credit Hours.

This course introduces students to key data analysis techniques used in educational, psychological, and other social science research. The focus is on understanding and applying multiple regression—a powerful statistical method for examining relationships between variables and making predictions. Students will explore topics such as bivariate regression, multiple regression with both continuous and categorical predictors, interaction effects, curved relationships, and how to check model assumptions. The course emphasizes both conceptual understanding and practical skills, with hands-on experience using statistical software (SPSS or R). By the end of the course, students will be better prepared to conduct their own research, interpret research findings, and critically evaluate information in academic and real-world settings. Students should have a basic understanding of descriptive statistics and hypothesis testing (such as in EPS 351 or a similar course) and be comfortable with basic algebra. No calculus is required.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.

EPS 402. Statistical Programming: R, Python, and SQL for Social and Behavioral Data. 3 Credit Hours.

This course introduces students to statistical programming using modern tools such as R, Python, and SQL, with a focus on analyzing social and behavioral data. Students will learn how to write code for tasks such as data input and output, data cleaning and transformation, working with different data types, creating statistical graphics, and performing exploratory data analysis. The course also covers programming concepts like conditional logic, loops, and functions, as well as basic techniques for statistical modeling and inference. No prior experience with R, Python, or SQL is required, but familiarity with basic statistics and some programming concepts is helpful. The course emphasizes hands-on learning and real-world applications in the social and behavioral sciences.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.

EPS 403. Applied Machine Learning in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. 3 Credit Hours.

This course introduces students to the power of big data in education—how it helps teachers and administrators identify patterns, improve decision-making, and enhance the student experience. Students will learn the basics of Python programming to work with large datasets, explore simple machine learning techniques that help computers make predictions, and apply these skills by building a small educational application or interactive feature on a website. While no background in programming or calculus is required, students with prior experience may find the material easier to grasp. The course emphasizes hands-on learning and creative problem solving, and students should be prepared for an engaging workload that includes developing a functional final project.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.

EPS 405. Text Mining for the Social and Behavioral Sciences. 3 Credit Hours.

Text Mining is a powerful tool for social impact research and analysis because it allows us to extract valuable insights from large amounts of unstructured text data, such as social media posts, news articles, and survey responses. By analyzing this text data, students can gain a deeper understanding of the attitudes, opinions, and behaviors of individuals and communities, and use this knowledge to inform and improve social policies and programs. In this course, students will learn a) the basic programming language (i.e., Python) to operate big data analysis and b) a range of text mining techniques, including sentiment analysis, topic modeling, network analysis, and machine learning. This course requires a higher demand of work creating the actual product.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

EPS 411. The Psychology of Diversity. 3 Credit Hours.

This course critically examines how diversity and social justice issues impact everyday life. The focus is on how personal, group, and cultural identities (race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, immigration status, and social class), and the intersections of these identities influence individuals’ lives and experiences. This is primarily a survey course, designed to introduce major concepts, models, theories, and research that emanate from the literature on diversity and multicultural psychology. This is a critical backdrop to prepare students to be multiculturally responsive in this increasingly global society. Borrowing from history, cultural anthropology, social psychology, indigenous psychology, counseling psychology, and general psychology, the curriculum will engage students in theoretical, research-based, and experiential exercises in order to develop a comprehensive understanding that will lead to culturally responsive and ethical mindsets and practice.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall.

EPS 412. Migration, Well Being, and Human Development. 3 Credit Hours.

This course explores the social and psychological processes involved in migration and issues relevant to well-being of diverse immigrant groups including immigration policies, the psychology of immigration and acculturation, ethnic identities, issues in immigrant families, immigrant communities, educational, health, and mental health issues.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Spring.

EPS 420. Introduction to Counseling and Psychotherapy. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is a survey of the theories and practical applications of counseling and psychotherapy. Students will acquire an understanding of a variety of theories of psychotherapy, the basic requirements and skills for effective, ethical counseling, and an appreciation for the role of values and human differences in counseling and psychotherapy. This course does not prepare students for practice in mental health professions.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

EPS 430. Creating Belonging Through Dialogue. 3 Credit Hours.

The Creating Belonging Through Dialogue course will provide an opportunity for students to engage in dialogue across difference. Students will have the opportunity to learn about and discuss social identities and intersectionality in relation to various social identities, with a focus on social justice. The course will focus on understanding diverse perspectives and ideas that facilitate intellectual advancement as well as personal development as members of the UM community, and the larger community in which we are situated. Note: the focal social identity varies by class section: please refer to the Class Notes for information on the social identity that will be the main focus of this section.
Components: IDG.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Spring.

EPS 440. Listening and Helping Skills.. 3 Credit Hours.

Listening and Helping Skills is an introductory course to the foundational skills used in helping relationships. Through lectures, discussions and role- plays, students will learn the rationale behind basic helping skills and their application to diverse settings and contexts.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

EPS 452. Community Program Development and Evaluation. 3 Credit Hours.

This course addresses the theoretical and practical principles of designing, planning, implementing, and evaluating programs in community-bases settings. The students will learn about prevention, effective program development, program approaches, program components, program evaluation, and cultural proficiency in program development and evaluation. Students will acquire and practice skills for becoming effective workers and leaders in community-based agencies. The course will consist of readings, presentations, and applied knowledge.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Spring.

EPS 462. Community Consultation and Leadership. 3 Credit Hours.

This course will cover strength based, preventive, empowering approaches to institutional and community change, and will address related skills, stages, processes and outcomes; Conflict resolution, facilitation, strategic planning, visioning, advocacy, change management, and community mobilization will be studied and practiced in class.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall.

EPS 504. Mentored Research Studies. 1-3 Credit Hours.

Under the guidance of EPS faculty and graduate students, undergraduate students, will have an opportunity to get involved in various components of research study; gain valuable knowledge and research experience; and enhance their undergraduate academic experience.
Components: THI.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.

EPS 533. Organization and Administration of Higher Education I. 3 Credit Hours.

Theoretical approaches from organizational analysis. Applications to problems, processes, and patterns of higher education institutions. Consideration given to legal status, governance patterns, and external relations. Administrator, faculty, trustee, and student roles are also explored.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall.

EPS 578. Community and Applied Psychological Studies Practicum. 3-6 Credit Hours.

The practicum serves an integrative function: it allows students to apply their academic training, to further develop their career goals, and to hone their skills while gaining experience in real-world settings. Practica are generally unpaid, supervised experiences. Students choose from a menu of settings that have been approved as approved practicum sites and spend a minimum of 120 hours (3 credits) or 250 hours (6 credits) at their chosen setting over the course of the semester. Must be taken concurrently with EPS 579.
Components: PRA.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall.

EPS 579. Community and Applied Psychological Studies Practicum Seminar. 3 Credit Hours.

The Practicum Seminar brings theory and research to bear on the student’s practicum experiences, and provides a forum for further professional skill development and growth. Students will complete a major project integrating their experiences. This course is a designated Upper Level Communication Requirement; advanced written, digital and/or oral communication proficiencies will be emphasized in this course. Credit for WRS 105 and WRS 106 (or equivalent), is required for this course.
Prerequisite: WRS 105 And WRS 106 or WRS 107 OR WRS 208 OR Foote Fellow Status.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall.

EPS 587. Special Topics in Community and Applied Psychological Studies. 1-3 Credit Hours.

This course is designed for students wishing to focus on a specific area of study within the umbrella of Human and Social Development. Topics will be offered based on current trends in the field as well as student and faculty interest. Students will be given supervision and support in a structured seminar setting.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Spring & Summer.

EPS 589. Individual Study. 1-3 Credit Hours.

Individual work on a special project under faculty guidance.
Components: THI.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.

EPS 595. Research Project I. 2 Credit Hours.

This course is restricted to students in the SEHD who have been accepted into the Research Honors Program and are working with a Faculty mentor.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

EPS 596. Research Project II. 2 Credit Hours.

This course is restricted to students in the SEHD who have been accepted into the Research Honors Program and are working with a Faculty mentor. See Associate Dean for additional details.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

EPS 597. Research Project - Thesis Writing. 1-3 Credit Hours.

This course is restricted to students in the SEHD who have been accepted into the Research Honors Program and are working with a Faculty mentor.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

EPS 598. Research Project - Seminar. 1 Credit Hour.

This course is restricted to students in the SEHD who have been accepted into the Research Honors Program and are working with a Faculty mentor. Students are required to present at the undergraduate Research, Creativity, and Innovation Forum.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

EPS 599. Individual Study. 1-3 Credit Hours.

Individual work on a special project under faculty guidance.
Components: THI.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.